CECW Information Sheet #45E. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto, Faculty of Social Work.
Evaluating service effectiveness was recently identified as the most pressing priority for child welfare research in Canada. This information sheet summarizes a 2005 systematic review by Robert Flynn and Danielle Bouchard, which evaluated studies of the effectiveness of various Canadian child welfare programs. Flynn and Bouchard analyzed 10 peer-reviewed evaluations of the impact of intervention programs, published between 1995 and 2005, four of which were based on randomized controlled trials, and six of which had non-randomized, quasi-experimental designs.
This information sheet provides a synopsis of each evaluation reviewed. Most synopses also provide an internet link to abstracts, and in some cases, complete texts, of the original articles. These links are available to readers with electronic access to the publication databases.